Things Above

In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith offers this thought from above: God is the most joyous being in the universe. Unfortunately, this seldom enters our minds. Instead, we imagine that God is mad about everything. This false narrative is influenced by a gospel narrative that tells us Jesus took our beating to quell God’s insatiable anger. In the Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard offers a better narrative that is also very true. Dallas says, “It is a great and important task to come to terms with what we really think when we think of God.” A question people find themselves wrestling with is this, Is God angry or is God full of joy? Dallas goes on to say, “We should, to begin with, think that God leads a very interesting life and that he is full of joy. Undoubtedly he is the most joyous being in the universe…Great tidal waves of joy must constantly wash through his being.” Can you imagine this to be true? What is God REALLY like? To find the answer, we have to look no further than Jesus. Because anything that we say about God the Father must match or be in complete accord with what we see and hear from Jesus. Dallas affirms this idea by saying, “Now, Jesus himself was and is a joyous, creative person. He does not allow us to continue thinking of our Father who fills and overflows a space as a morose and miserable monarch, a frustrated and petty parent, or a policeman on the prowl. One cannot think of God in such ways while confronting Jesus’ declaration ‘He that has seen me has seen the Father.’ One of the most outstanding features of Jesus’ personality was precisely an abundance of joy.” Related episodes: 1. Greater Than Our Sins 2. Guilt versus Shame 3. Blessed 4. Identity 5. Jesus is Praying for You The post God’s Joyous Being appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

Are you satisfied with your prayer life? In this episode James Bryan Smith explains this glorious thought: Jesus is praying for you. Smith references Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:34, and 1st John 2:1 to help explain this glorious thought. He goes on to explain that Jesus is taking our prayers and sanctifying them. The pressure is off for us to create “perfect prayers” or be perfect in our prayer. Through Jesus our prayers are made perfect and sanctified. Related episodes: 1. The Last Word 2. Second Birth 3. Worry 4. Be Mindful 5. God’s Beloved The post Jesus is Praying for You appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

How can we understand beauty through the lens of Jesus? In episode 30 of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith sits down for a conversation with pastor Brian Zahnd, who has authored books, such as ‘Water to Wine,’ ‘Beauty Will Save the World’ and his latest work, ‘Postcards from Babylon.’ Jim and Brian draw from the collective wisdom of Hans Urs von Balthasar, Dostoyevsky, Thomas Aquinas, Dallas Willard and Mary Oliver as they discuss the importance of beauty in our Christian faith and in the world. Enjoyed this conversation? Listen to other Things Above Conversations here: 1. Things Above Conversation with Brian Zahnd Part 1 2. Things Above Conversation with John Ortberg 3. Conversation with William Paul Young 4. Things Above Conversation with J.R. Briggs 5. Things Above Conversation with Greg Boyd The post Things Above Conversation with Brian Zahnd appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

Our external behaviors, actions and accomplishments are what much of the world uses to judge us. In many cases, outsiders’ opinions shape our identity. In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith explores the unhealthy ways our identity is shaped and offers another way to understand our identity – a life that is in Christ. The world says our identity is determined by our behavior, leading to a host of problems. Unless we are directly affirmed for who we are and not what we do, we cannot withstand criticism, no matter how well intended. But when our life is in Christ, our identity guides our behavior. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he starts the third chapter by explaining our identity in Christ: 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. You see, for followers of Jesus, we are going to appear with him in glory – not because of what we’ve done but because of who we are. Paul spent a considerable amount of time explaining this in his letters to the Romans (chapter 6), 1 Corinthians (chapter 1), and Ephesians (chapters 1-3). At the end of Ephesians 3, Paul offers up a glorious prayer that affirms our identity in Christ (v.14-21). Immediately afterwards, he urges us to live a life worthy of the calling we’ve received. This week, you’re invited to set your minds on this glorious thought: Identity before behavior. Related episodes: 1. Your Identity is in the Invitation 2. Epiphanies From a Guitar Part 1 3. Epiphanies From a Guitar Part 2 4. Christ is All Around Us 5. Desiring God The post Identity appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

What does “blessed” mean and how do we know if a person is “blessed”? In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith unpacks Psalm 1 and the blessed life. It turns out, the blessed person is someone who is under God’s blessing, in which God affirms this condition. It also means happy or fulfilled, indicating a strong, positive feeling. Finally, it indicates being intrinsically right, where our inner world is aligned. What is the condition that leads to this blessing? The psalmist starts with the negative by pointing out three postures. The blessed person does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. What’s important to note here is that this doesn’t describe how God feels about the sinner, but rather the impact of the ungodly on the lives of those who stand in solidarity with them. In other words, the blessed person does not walk or stand or sit with people whose hearts and minds are against God. Instead, the blessed delight in God’s law (v.2), which refers to God’s will, or the kingdom of God. Those who meditate on the law day and night are setting their minds and hearts on things above. The result of this leads to a blessed life – where our actions are connected our thoughts. We can do this while journeying with people who desire the same, drawing from a constant source of life in God with strong roots and an uninterrupted flow of energy. Key verses include Psalm 1:1-6 (KJV). Related episodes: 1. Living Godward 2. The Mystery of the Incarnation 3. God’s Love 4. Seeing Beauty 5. Forgiveness: The Way to Freedom The post Blessed appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In this episode, James Bryan Smith explains the difference between guilt and shame. Shame is feeling bad about who we are. Guilt, in contrast, is feeling bad about what we have done. Guilt can be healthy because it allows us to make amends or change our behavior. However, shame is always bad. Smith explains that shame is an act of self-betrayal because we are God’s beloved. The most fundamental thing about our nature is not sin – it is goodness, beauty, and truth. Smith concludes that what prevents us from shame is the fact that we are first and foremost God’s beloved. Related episodes: 1. Finality of the Cross 2. Shame 3. Forgiven to be Filled 4. Eternal Life Now 5. Hope The post Guilt versus Shame appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

People have a tendency to fear God largely because of our sins. At the heart of our fear lies the narrative that our unfaithfulness to God makes us unlovable by God. This is nothing new for humanity. Ancient Israel struggled with this same fear. In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith explores this false narrative by unpacking a passage from Isaiah 43 and offers this glorious thought: God’s love is greater than our sins. You see, Israel was afraid their unfaithfulness resulted in exile and captivity, and therefore God didn’t love them. But they were wrong. God speaks to Israel through the prophet Isaiah. The assumption was that God punished them for their many sins. But God reminds them of this important truth: “Do not fear! I made you. I formed you. I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. You are precious in my sight. You are honored. I love you. I am with you.” Do you need to be reminded of this truth? Experiment with this soul training exercise: “I, _insert your name_, am precious in God’s sight. I, _insert your name_, am honored, and God loves me.” Write this down on an index card or post-it note and repeat this to yourself throughout the week. Jot down your experience with this and share it with your friend or spouse. Key verses include Romans 12:2, Isaiah 43:1-7, Romans 6. Related episodes: 1. Your Identity is in the Invitation 2. Jesus Holds Everything Together 3. Spiritual Mirror 4. Episode 00 5. Episode 01 The post Greater Than Our Sins appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In this episode, James Bryan Smith has a conversation with author and pastor Greg Boyd about the transformational process of “mind discipleship.” Greg also describes his childhood journey and the struggles he faced at home and at church. Ultimately, this was very healing, as he moved from deep feelings of helplessness and hopelessness to an even deeper understanding of God’s love through the cross.  For the first time in his life, Greg was able to see God’s loving, self-giving, and humble character – a discovery that changed the way he lived forever. Greg Boyd has authored several books, including Cross Vision, Letters to a Skeptic and Seeing is Believing. He also hosts his own podcast, called ReKnew. Enjoyed this conversation? Listen to other Things Above Conversations here: 1. Conversation with Emily P. Freeman Part 2 2. Conversation with Jen Pollock Michel 3. Conversation with Chris Heuertz Part 2 4. Conversation with William Paul Young 5. Conversation with Josh Larsen The post Things Above Conversation 5 appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In this episode James Bryan Smith explains this glorious thought: You are God’s beloved even in your worst moments. The world we live in today is based on comparison, Smith explains that when we live into this culture of comparison we begin to reject ourselves. We begin to think that we are not good enough to be God’s beloved. In order to believe that we are God’s beloved we need a power greater than ourselves, the Holy Spirit. Smith goes on to explain that our belovedness is not based on what we do or what we have earned. It is freely bestowed on us because God’s love is greater than our sin. We are the beloved because of God not because of anything we have done. Key verses include: Luke 3:21-2 Related episodes: 1. Moved to Pray 2. Practicing Patience 3. Overcoming Temptation 4. Christ Plus Nothing Equals Everything 5. Already Present The post God’s Beloved appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

Our daily activity sometimes causes us to miss the best moments in life. We get lost in our thoughts and fail to see God who is in our midst. In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith shares a heavenly thought: Be mindful that God is with you in all you do. In his book, Discipline and Discovery, Albert Edward Day offers some words about God’s presence with us: “Did you ever encounter, on the street, a friend whose physical eyes looked at you without seeing you? You walked right into him before the alien look on his face changed into one of recognition. Then he confessed that he had been so absorbed in thought about some other matters that he had not been aware of you, until your intentional collision with him. You were there, yet he did not see you. Though actually in your presence, he was nevertheless unconscious of you as if you did not exist.” “That is a persistent failure of the unemancipated consciousness. It can be so preoccupied with lesser realities that it does not sense the presence of the Divine reality surrounding and sustaining it. Something has to happen to end the absorption in other affairs so that it can turn its attention to God.” We can get preoccupied with “things below,” which impacts our relationship with God. We get caught up in the tyranny of an idea or a dream and release the awareness of something greater than the idea or dream, namely God Himself. So what can we do? Jim suggests that we can train ourselves to be aware of all we do and integrate a constant awareness of God by living on two levels. Quaker writer Thomas Kelley wrote about this in “A Testament of Devotion.” On one level, we can go about our daily tasks at hand – working, driving, reading, etc. On another level, we can include our attentiveness to the presence of God in our midst – intimate fellowship with Him. This is what makes life splendid. Have you been aware of God’s goodness, love and holiness lately? Experiment with this today or this week. Jot your experience down in a journal or notebook and reflect on what you observed. Related episodes: 1. God’s Joyous Being 2. Wired for Worship 3. Second Chances 4. Source of Life 5. The Gift of Pain The post Be Mindful appeared first on Apprentice Institute.